Lighthouses of Western Australia

Western Australia is by far the largest state in the Australian union, including roughly one third of the country and about the same fraction of the coastline. The coast sweeps in a great semicircle, facing south on the Great Southern Ocean, west and northwest on the Indian Ocean, and north on the Timor Sea. A large part of the coastline is wild and thinly populated, and there are some very large gaps between lighthouses. Perth, the state capital, is a large metropolitan area including the seaport of Fremantle. The coastal Western Australia lighthouses are managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), but after automation a number of the light station properties were transferred to the control of the state Department of Environment and Conservation. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111. What's Hot: General Sources Lighthouses of Western Australia The section of the Lighthouses of Australia site devoted to Western Australia lights. Lighthouses of Western Australia Photos and information posted by Pauline O'Brien. Seaside Lights - Western Australia Photos and notes by Garry Searle. Lighthouses from the Air - Part 4 and Part 5 Articles from the Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin of December 2001 and January 2002, including good aerial photos of Western Australian lighthouses. Around Australia Chasing Lighthouses - Part 3 Article from the Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin of January 2001 by John Ibbotson, including photos of many of the more remote lighthouses. Australian Lighthouses This site, posted by Kevin Mulcahy, has a comprehensive list of Australian lighthouses and includes good photos of some of them.

Centennial celebration at Cape Naturaliste Light, 2004 photo copyright Pauline O'Brien; used by permission

Albany Area (Great Southern Coast) Lighthouses
Breaksea Island (2)

1901 (station established 1858?). Active; focal plane 119 m (390 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 15.5 m (51 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Tower unpainted gray stone; lantern painted white. The station includes at least two more keeper's houses, all in ruins. Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop an island in King George Sound about 20 km (13 mi) east of Albany, acting as the landfall light for the city. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed (nature reserve). Operator: AMSA. Site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-012; Admiralty K1800; NGA 8832.

* [King Point (1)]

1858. Inactive for many years. Ruined 1-story stone keeper's house. The active light (focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 3 s) is on a 9 m (30 ft) white skeletal tower about 75 m (250 ft) uphill. A photo of the ruins is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the narrow entrance to Princess Royal Harbour, the inner harbor of Albany, from King George Sound. Accessible by a short walk from a nearby road. Site open. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-279; Admiralty K1802; NGA 8840.

* Cave Point

1976. Inactive since 1994. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white, attached to a 1-story circular concrete service building. Dirk Slawinski has a distant photo, and Barbara Saunders-Jones also has a distant view. The lantern was replaced in 1996 by a Cospas-Sarsat satellite-aided search and rescue ground receiver, one of two in Australia. The lighthouse is a sibling of Cape Tourville Light, Tasmania. Located on the point in Torndirrup National Park about 15 km (9 mi) south of Albany. The lighthouse should be accessible by a short hike from the natural bridge (one of the best known features of the park) at the end of The Gap Road; however, there is a notable lack of closeup photos. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-055.

Eclipse Island

1926. Active; focal plane 117 m (384 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) unpainted round cylindrical concrete block tower with gallery; lantern removed in 1976. The light is shown from a short mast centered on the top of the capped tower. The original 1° Fresnel lens has been on display since 1989 in a special building (the Eclipse Building) at the Western Australian Museum in Albany. Located on an island southwest of Cave Point. Accessible only by boat; visible from shore at the end of The Gap Road or Eclipse Island Road. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-068; Admiralty K1798; NGA 8860.

Southwest Coast Lighthouses

**** Cape Leeuwin 1896 (William Douglass). Active; focal plane 56 m (185 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 39 m (128 ft) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, on a square base attached to a 1-story storeroom; 2° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens. Formerly unpainted, the tower has recently been painted white; lantern also painted white. Three 1-story stone keeper's houses. Also preserved is a wooden water wheel which formerly supplied fresh water to the station. Phillip Capper's photo is at right, and Ian Sanderson has a fine distant view. This historic building is one of Australia's best known lighthouses. It stands at the southwestern corner of the nation, at the end of a narrow peninsula with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean to the north and the Southern Ocean to the south. There are plans for a museum in the keeper's houses. Located at the end of Leeuwin Road southwest of Augusta. Parking provided. Site open; tower open to guided tours daily. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Environment and Conservation (Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park). ARLHS AUS-035; Admiralty K1794; NGA 8872. * Foul Bay 1967. Active; focal plane 92 m (303 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, painted white. This light replaced an earlier lighthouse on nearby Hamelin Island. Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo. Located on a headland near Hamelin Bay. Site status unknown. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-211; Admiralty K1792; NGA 8876. **** Cape Naturaliste 1904 (C.S.R. Palmer). Active; focal plane 123 m (404 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 10 s. 20 m (65 ft) limestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; original 1° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens. Three 1-story stone keeper's houses, one housing a custodian and another open as a museum. Items on display include the original 2° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens from Jarman Island Light and the original Great Sandy Island beacon, both from the Pilbara Coast far to the north. In April 2004 the 100th anniversary of the lighthouse was celebrated. Pauline O'Brien's photo appears at the top of this page, Lighthouses of Australia also has a good page on the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the cape road north of Dunsborough, adjacent to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Parking provided. Site open; tower open to guided tours daily. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association. ARLHS AUS-040; Admiralty K1790; NGA 8880.

Cape Leeuwin Light, December 2005 Creative Commons photo by Phillip Capper

* Casuarina Point (3)

1959 (height increased in 1971; station established 1870). Active; focal plane 43 m (142 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.4 s, every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted in a black and white checkerboard pattern; base is black. The height was increased by 10 m (33 ft) in 1971 by adding a new section above the base. A fine March 2007 photo shows the tower freshly painted, Winsome Bonham also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. In 2004 a proposal to install a cell phone tower atop the lighthouse drew protests from residents and the city council, and the tower was not installed. Located on Marlston Drive at Bennett Way on the ocean side of Bunbury. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Bunbury Port Authority. ARLHS AUS-054; Admiralty K1782; NGA 8888.

Fremantle (Perth Metropolitan) Area Lighthouses
* Woodman Point

1902. Active; focal plane 37 m (123 ft); green, red, or white light depending on direction, white indicating the safe channel, occulting for 3 s once every 30 s. 13 m (42 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. Seaward side of the tower painted white, land side unpainted; lantern painted white. Two 1-story keeper's houses. Google has a satellite view. Woodman Point is a sharp promontory projecting into Cockburn Sound about 8 km (5 mi) south of Fremantle. The lighthouse, however, is located atop a hill at the base of the point, on the east (landward) side of Cockburn Road (highway 12). Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from the base of the hill. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-174; Admiralty K1774; NGA 9004.

**** Rottnest Island (Wadjemup Hill) (2)

1896 (station established 1851) (William Douglass). Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 38 m (125 ft) limestone tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Another good photo is available, Searle has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. Western Australia's oldest light station; the current lighthouse is a sibling of Cape Leeuwin Light. The island, about 30 km (19 mi) west of Fremantle, is a popular resort for the Perth area, with various accommodations available. In 2005, cellphone transmitters attached to the lighthouse were removed, and on November 5, 2005, ceremonies were held opening the lighthouse to the public. Located at the highest point of the island, near the western end. The island is accessible by passenger ferry from Fremantle or Hillarys; the light station is accessible by coach tour, bicycle, or hiking. Site open, tower open for tours daily. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Rottnest Island Authority. ARLHS AUS-146; Admiralty K1760; NGA 9024.

*** Bathurst Point (Kingston Reefs Range Rear)

1900. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); four white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) limestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Two keeper's houses are available for overnight rental. Jason Nolan has an excellent closeup photo, Searle has a photo and several historic images, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse serves as the rear light of a range guiding ships departing Fremantle past the reefs east of Rottnest Island. Located on the northeast point of the island. Site open, guided tours of the boathouse and pilot quarters are available; tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Rottnest Island Authority. ARLHS AUS-006; Admiralty K1761.1; NGA 9036.1.

* Fremantle South Mole 1903 (C.Y. O'Conner). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light occulting every 2 s. 9 m (30 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted green with white trim; lantern painted white. Keeper's house demolished. O'Brien's photo is at right, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view . Several other small buildings and structures around the lighthouse are the remains of World War II fortifications. Designed in Australia but prefabricated in England. The lighthouse was refurbished and repainted in a lighter green color for its 100th anniversary in 2003. Located at the end of the south breakwater at the entrance to the Swan River, Fremantle's harbor. The pier is open to walkers, bicycles, and motorcylcles. Site open, tower closed. Good view from Rottnest Island ferries. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-151; Admiralty K1765; NGA 9064. * Fremantle North Mole 1906 (C.Y. O'Conner). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light occulting every 2 s. 9 m (30 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with white trim; lantern painted white. Keeper's house demolished. O'Brien's photo is at right, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. A twin of the South Mole Light, designed in Australia but prefabricated in England. Located at the end of the north breakwater at the entrance to the Swan River, Fremantle's harbor. The pier is open to walkers, bicycles, and motorcylcles. Site open, tower closed. Good view from Rottnest Island ferries. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-120; Admiralty K1764; NGA 9076. * Buckland Hill 1970s. Active; focal plane 66 m (216 ft); directional light, showing green, white, or red depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical tower topped by a square structure and a mast. O'Brien has a closeup photo. This unusual light tower guides ships on their final approach to the Fremantle harbor entrance. Located on a hill north of the entrance. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-014; Admiralty K1762.8; NGA 9044. ** Hillarys Boat Harbour 1986. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 20 m (65 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with lantern and enclosed upper portion, painted white. A circular observation platform surrounds the tower about 5 m (16 ft) off the ground. The lantern was transferred from the Bedout Island Light, which had been replaced. A Google satellite view is available. Located at the end of the north breakwater at Hillarys Boat Harbor in Wanneroo, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Fremantle. Site and observation platform open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-277; Admiralty K1758.3; NGA 9102.7.

Fremantle South Mole Light photo copyright Pauline O'Brien used by permission

Batavia Coast Lighthouses
* Guilderton

1983. Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 30 m (98 ft) tapered brick tower with lantern and brick gallery. Tower is unpainted red brick, lantern painted white. Paul Robinson has a 2007 closeup photo. This lighthouse is a twin of the 1980 Troubridge Hill Light in South Australia. Guilderton, a relatively new town at the mouth of the Moore River, is a popular vacation resort. Located off Forrester Road on the north side of Guilderton, 94 km (58 mi) north of Perth. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-088; Admiralty K1757.5; NGA 9112.

Escape Island

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the center of a low island about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Jurien Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-072; Admiralty K1756; NGA 9140.

* [Port Denison Obelisk]

1869. Active as a daybeacon. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) square pyramidal stone obelisk on a square 1-story base. Obelisk painted white, base red. A good photo is available, also a second photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is one of the best preserved of the many stone obelisks built in Australia during the mid 1800s as unlighted navigational aids. Originally it was one of two obelisks that formed a range. It serves today as an observation point and a memorial to fishermen from Port Denison lost at sea. Located on Port Leander Drive and Harbour View, at the southwestern corner of the harbor of Port Denison and about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Dongara. Site open; parking provided. Site manager: unknown.

Pelsaert Island 1974. Active; focal plane 21 m (70 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) cylindrical stainless steel tower with gallery but no lantern. Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located near the southern tip of Pelsaert Island, which is at the south end of the Abrolhos Islands, a string of 122 small islands and reefs in the Indian Ocean about 60 km (40 mi) west of Geraldton. Accessible only by boat. Site open but very difficult to reach, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-126; Admiralty K1753.6; NGA 9160. * Point Moore 1876. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 10 s. 35 m (115 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red an white horizontal bands; original 2° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens remains in use. The tower was prefabricated in England by Chance Brothers. 1-story keeper's house. Michael Leuty's photo appears at right, another good photo is available, and Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated about 5 km (3 mi) in 1878 after the original site was found to be unsuitable. A July 2007 photo shows the lighthouse being repainted. Located at the end of a narrow peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean on the south side of Geraldton. Site and tower closed (fenced) but the lighthouse can be viewed from the street. Operator/site manager: Geraldton Port Authority (?). ARLHS AUS-111; Admiralty K1740; NGA 9164. ** [Bluff Point] 1876. Inactive since 1952, when the lighthouse was destroyed by fire. The keeper's house survives and serves as a museum managed by the Geraldton Historical Society. No photo available. The building was restored in 1985-86. Located near the beach on the north side of Geraldton. Site open, museum open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Owner: Geraldton City Council. Site manager: Geraldton Historical Society. ARLHS AUS-009. Shoal Point 1958. Active; focal plane 118 m (386 ft); white flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) square brick tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on heights about 4.5 km (2.75 mi) from the coast, about 30 km (19 mi) south of Kalbarri. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-216; Admiralty K1739; NGA 9204.

Point Moore Light, May 2006 Creative Commons photo by Michael Leuty

Gascoyne Coast Lighthouses
Cape Inscription

1910. Active; focal plane 39 m (127 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 15 m (49 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is unpainted, lantern painted white. This is Australia's westernmost lighthouse, standing in longtitude 112°58.0' E. Lighthouses of Australia has a photo by John Ibbotson (1/3 of the way down the page), and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is located on Dirk Hartog Island, a long island sheltering Shark Bay. The island, long privately owned, is now incorporated in the Shark Bay Marine Park. The one accommodation on the island is at least 50 km (30 mi) to the south. It is possible to reach the site by 4WD vehicle, but this would require a substantial expedition. Located at the northernmost point of the island, marking the entrance to Shark Bay. Site open, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Environment and Conservation (Shark Bay Marine Park). ARLHS AUS-032; Admiralty K1724; NGA 9212.

* Cape Peron

1980s (?). Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) slender round cylindrical tower, painted white. Frans IJserinkhuijsen has a good photo (eighth photo on the page), another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Cape Peron is the northern tip of the Peron Peninsula, which is tenuously connected to the mainland east of Dirk Hartog Island. The northern portion of the peninsula is set aside as François Peron National Park. Located on the point of the cape. Accessible by 4WD vehicles (guided tours are available and recommended). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K1726; NGA 9228.

** Babbage Island (1) 1896. Inactive since 1961. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) tower with lantern. Lantern dome painted with red and white vertical stripes. The 1-story keeper's house is a museum. The lantern was originally mounted on a wood frame skeletal tower, which was damaged by fire in 1909 and again in 1961. The light was then moved to a modern steel tower. Brian Yap's photo is at right. The lighthouses are hard to spot in a Google satellite view. Located at Pelican Point, the northwestern tip of Babbage Island, on the northwest side of Carnarvon. Site open, Lighthouse Cottage Museum open daily 2-4 pm, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Carnarvon Heritage Precinct. ARLHS AUS-275. * Babbage Island (2) 1962. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); flash every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 18 m (60 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and the light atop a short fiberglass tower, painted white. Brian Yap's photo is at right, and Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo. Located at Pelican Point, the northwestern tip of Babbage Island, on the northwest side of Carnarvon. Site open, Lighthouse Cottage Museum open daily 2-4 pm, tower closed. Operator: AMSA (?). Site manager: Carnarvon Heritage Precinct. ARLHS AUS-276; Admiralty K1718; NGA 9252. * Point Quobba 1950. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 18.5 m (61 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; dome of the lantern is red. Lighthouses of Australia has a photo (about 1/4 the way down the page), and Google has a satellite view. The lantern was relocated here from Cape Wickham Light in the Bass Strait, Tasmania. Located about 80 km (50 mi) north of Carnarvon by road. Site and tower closed (fenced) but the lighthouse can be seen from nearby. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-215; Admiralty K1716; NGA 9268.

Babbage Island Lights, July 2005 Creative Commons photo by Brian Yap

Point Cloates (1)

1910. Inactive since 1932, when the lighthouse was heavily damaged by an earthquake. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) sandstone tower; lantern removed. The active light (1966; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); two white flashes every 15 s) is on a 3.5 m (12 ft) fiberglass tower about 1 km (0.6 mi) away. The lighthouse was replaced by a skeletal tower on Fraser Island. When that light was swept away by a storm around 1965, the fiberglass tower was built. The historic tower has conspicuous cracks but does not seem to be in danger of falling. In 2005 the lighthouse was added to the state register of historic places. Point Cloates, facing the Indian Ocean, is a remote location at the base of the Northwest Cape peninsula. It is said to be possible to reach the site by 4WD from Exmouth. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-131; Admiralty K1714; NGA 9272.

*** Vlaming Head

1912. Inactive since 1967. 10 m (33 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. Oil house. The keeper's houses are leased to the Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park and are available for overnight accommodations. René Brask has a closeup photo, Keith Collicoat also has a great closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The light was moved in 1967 to one of the tall skeletal towers of the nearby Naval Communications Centre. After being damaged by Cyclone Vance in 1999, the lighthouse was restored in 2000-2001 with the help of numerous volunteers and a federal cyclone repair grant. Ken Baker, of the former Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, succeeded in putting the light back in operable condition, making this the only working kerosene-fueled lighthouse in Australia. The light is lit only on a few special occasions. Located 15 km (9 mi) north of Exmouth and about 10 km (6 mi) west southwest of the point of North West Cape (the northwestern corner of Australia). Accessible by road. Site open, tower open daily. Owner/site manager: Shire of Exmouth. ARLHS AUS-165.

Pilbara Coast Lighthouses

Bessiers Island (Anchor Island)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 17 m (56 ft) steel skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Bessiers Island is one of a scattering of small islands obstructing the entrance to Exmouth Gulf. Located on the southwestern tip of the island about 75 km (45 mi) northeast of Exmouth. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K1702; NGA 9284.

* Onslow

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 2 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at Second Avenue and Watson Drive on the southeast side of Onslow. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K1704.1; NGA 9296.

Airlie Island Date unknown (around 1980). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); four white flashes, separated by 2 s, every 16 s. 21 m (69 ft) tapered steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Airlie Island is in an oil and gas producing area and large tankers anchor offshore. The island itself is a nature reserve. Located on the north side of the island about 27 km (17 mi) north of Onslow. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-241; Admiralty K1698; NGA 9304. North Sandy Island (2) 1980 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2 s, every 8 s. 16 m (53 ft) tapered steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo. Located on an island about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Onslow. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-237; Admiralty K1694; NGA 9316. * Dampier Port Control Tower Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light. Lantern centered on an octagonal building, part of the port authority's headquarters. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Dampier is a modern industrial port northwest of Karratha. Located on East Intercourse Island, one of several islands connected to shore by causeways as part of the port development. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty K1691.77; NGA 9341.5. ** Jarman Island 1888. Inactive since 1987. 15.5 m (51 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lower half of the tower painted red, upper half and lantern white. Guy wires are attached to the tower but appear to provide little support. Original 2° Fresnel lens on display at Cape Naturaliste Light on the Southwest Coast. 1-story keeper's house in ruins.The shire's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. This tower was prefabricated in Birmingham, England. the lighthouse was previously endangered by rust and abandonment, but in 2003 the Australian government granted $75,000 to begin restoration of the lighthouse as a tourist attraction. Additional funding was sought from the Western Australia Lotteries Commission. By 2005 the restoration of the tower was complete and work was soon to begin on the keeper's house. Located on an island 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Point Samson and about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of Cossack, a historic port that is being restored to its late 19th century appearance. Site open, guided tours available from Cossack, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Shire of Roebourne. ARLHS AUS-278. Bedout Island (2) 1980 (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 17.5 m (57 ft) stainless steel skeletal tower, painted white. The lantern from the original lighthouse was refurbished and placed on the Hillarys Boat Harbor lighthouse near Perth. Located on an island about 50 km (30 mi) off the coast and about 125 km (80 mi) northeast of Port Hedland. Site open, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-293; Admiralty K1675; NGA 9416.

Jarman Island Light Shire of Roeburn photo

Kimberley Coast Lighthouses
Imperieuse Reef

1970. Active; focal plane 30 m (100 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) cylindrical stainless steel tower with gallery but no lantern. Taller sibling of the somewhat better-known Pelsaert Island Light. Photos are available from an amateur radio DXpedition in 1999 (see near the bottom of the page). Located on the reef, the southernmost of the three coral reefs known as the Rowley Reefs, about 260 km (160 mi) west of Broome. Accessible only by boat; cruises to the reefs are available from Broome. Site open, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: CALM (Rowley Shoals Marine Park). ARLHS AUS-094; Admiralty K1674; NGA 9424.

* Gantheaume Point (2) 1984 (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 10 s. 23 m (75 ft) tapered steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white. Keeper's houses demolished. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo, John Ibbotson has an excellent closeup photo, and Google has a fine satellite view. The tower is surrounded by interesting red rock formations. Located on the point, a prominent cape about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Broome. Site and tower closed (fenced) but visitors can get quite close to the lighthouse. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-212; Admiralty K1660; NGA 9428. * East Island Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 2 s. 19 m (62 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available. Located on a tiny island at the southeastern end of a coral reef about 120 km (75 mi) north of Broome. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty K1658; NGA 9448. * Cape Leveque 1912. Active; focal plane 43 m (142 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 13 m (43 ft) steel (?) tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Keeper's houses demolished. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo, John Ibbotson has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula about 240 km (150 mi) north of Broome. It is possible to drive to the cape by 4WD, but most visitors arrive by air. The lighthouse is close to the rustic accommodations (cabins and tents) of the Kooljaman Resort. Site and tower closed (fenced) but visitors can get quite close to the lighthouse. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Kooljaman Aboriginal Community. ARLHS AUS-036; Admiralty K1650; NGA 9452. Caffarelli Island 1967. Active; focal plane 130 m (428 ft); white flash every 10 s. 6 m (21 ft) cylindrical steel tower with lantern, painted white. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo. Located on a high island in the Buccaneer Archipelago, a group of more than 1000 rugged islands north of Derby. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-251; Admiralty K1646; NGA 9468. Tanner Island (More Island) 1951. Active; focal plane 23 m (77 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on another island of the Buccaneer Archipelago, about 25 km (15 mi) east of Caffarelli Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-240; Admiralty K1643; NGA 9472.

Gantheaume Point Light, July 2005 Creative Commons photo by Brian Yap

Adele Island

1951. Active; focal plane 31 m (101 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Google has a satellite view. Located at the northeastern tip of an island at the southern end of a reef system about 250 km (155 mi) north of Derby. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-001; Admiralty K1640; NGA 9500.

Browse Island (2)

1985 (station established 1945). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 32 m (105 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. Google has a distant satellite view of the tiny island. Located far out in the Timor Sea, about 275 km (175 mi) northeast of Derby. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K1642; NGA 9504.

Degerando Island

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 6 m (20 ft) tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a small island at the northern entrance to Collier Bay, a very remote area. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-296; Admiralty K1641; NGA 9508.

Lesueur Island

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No current photo available, but Australia's National Archives has a historic (1963) photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Lesueur Island is a small island about 30 km (20 mi) east of Cape Londonderry, the western entrance to Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. Located at the west end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K1638; NGA 9512.

[Lacrosse Island]

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 113 m (370 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 6 m (20 ft) cylindrical steel tower, painted white. No lantern. Winsome Bonham has a good aerial photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on an island in the mouth of Cambridge Gulf about 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Wyndham. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-097; Admiralty 1636; NGA 9516.

 

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Arthur Head (1851-1902), near Fremantle. ARLHS AUS-004.
• Fraser Island (ca. 1932-ca. 1965), near Point Cloates. ARLHS AUS-297.
• Steep Point (1960-1984), near Cape Inscription

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Posted June 15, 2004; checked and revised May 7, 2008. Lighthouses: 43. Site copyright 2008 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.